Cllr Shane Forde
Shane Forde was elected as a Councillor for Galway City East on his first election outing, in June 2024. Married to Caroline, they have one child, Ben aged 2.
Shane was born, raised and educated in the area and to this day, he works in the heart of Galway City East Ward at Bons Secours Hospital.
Sport has played a significant role in Shane’s life, with over 25 years of commitment to St. James GAA club and active participation in local teams. Through working with Bons Secours hospital, he has been able to secure much needed funding for local clubs such as St. James GAA, Liam Mellows GAA and Renmore AFC.
Shane’s main priority is the delivery of affordable housing schemes in the city for the ever-growing cohort of first-time buyers who can’t afford housing in the private market, yet don’t qualify for social housing as they breach income limits. The Affordable purchase scheme was introduced by Government to help this squeezed group yet to date Galway City Council has failed to deliver.
Shane also wants the council to “get back to basics” by getting the simple tasks right. For example, some footpaths in the city are in a poor state of repair and need to be upgraded. Amenity spaces need to be maintained properly, and some estate signage is in poor condition or doesn’t exist at all. These are all basic jobs that can be carried out without incurring huge expense, yet they can make a big difference to people’s lives and enhance communities.